Perez alludes to Red Bull F1 pressure in ‘need to perform’ admission
Sergio Perez has acknowledged his “need to perform” at the Las
Vegas Grand Prix, which kicks of a critical triple-header for the
Red Bull driver. The 34-year-old is under considerable pressure to
save not only his seat with the Milton Keynes squad but also his F1
career. His underwhelming performances throughout much of the
season has left him at risk of being shown the door at the end of
the year, despite holding a contract through 2025. If he cannot
improve his form and show he can more adequately support Max
Verstappen next term, the reigning constructors’ champions may opt
to replace him with either Liam Lawson or Yuki Tsunoda – with
Franco Colapinto remaining an outside bet. After coming
tantalisingly close to ending his poor run of results at the
Azerbaijan Grand Prix in September, where he collided with Carlos
Sainz on the penultimate lap, Perez has not finished inside the top
five since the Miami Grand Prix, in early May. The so-called king
of street circuits will need to lean on his perceived speciality
under the intensity of the lights in Las Vegas. “It’s a track I
enjoy, I like the street circuit experience, with the walls in
tight and you cannot compare to driving down the Strip or towards
the Sphere towering over you,” the six-time grand prix winner said.
“While it’s a spectacle of a race, for everyone attending and
watching back home, it’s one where I know I need to perform and
maximise this car and my own performance.” “I’ve been working with
the team and feel São Paulo was much more competitive than we where
able to show.” The Mexican driver finished on the podium at last
season’s round in Nevada, but was pipped to second position by
Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc, who overtook him on the last proper
corner of the 50-lap race. It is a performance he will seek to
replicate at an event with fewer unknowns that 12 months ago. “This
race last year was such an unknown, it was a brand new race, it was
a new surface to us all and we were in temperatures we never
usually race in,” Perez reflected. “We barely had any data in 2023,
so this year we are approaching this street circuit with a lot more
information and understanding.”
Vegas Grand Prix, which kicks of a critical triple-header for the
Red Bull driver. The 34-year-old is under considerable pressure to
save not only his seat with the Milton Keynes squad but also his F1
career. His underwhelming performances throughout much of the
season has left him at risk of being shown the door at the end of
the year, despite holding a contract through 2025. If he cannot
improve his form and show he can more adequately support Max
Verstappen next term, the reigning constructors’ champions may opt
to replace him with either Liam Lawson or Yuki Tsunoda – with
Franco Colapinto remaining an outside bet. After coming
tantalisingly close to ending his poor run of results at the
Azerbaijan Grand Prix in September, where he collided with Carlos
Sainz on the penultimate lap, Perez has not finished inside the top
five since the Miami Grand Prix, in early May. The so-called king
of street circuits will need to lean on his perceived speciality
under the intensity of the lights in Las Vegas. “It’s a track I
enjoy, I like the street circuit experience, with the walls in
tight and you cannot compare to driving down the Strip or towards
the Sphere towering over you,” the six-time grand prix winner said.
“While it’s a spectacle of a race, for everyone attending and
watching back home, it’s one where I know I need to perform and
maximise this car and my own performance.” “I’ve been working with
the team and feel São Paulo was much more competitive than we where
able to show.” The Mexican driver finished on the podium at last
season’s round in Nevada, but was pipped to second position by
Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc, who overtook him on the last proper
corner of the 50-lap race. It is a performance he will seek to
replicate at an event with fewer unknowns that 12 months ago. “This
race last year was such an unknown, it was a brand new race, it was
a new surface to us all and we were in temperatures we never
usually race in,” Perez reflected. “We barely had any data in 2023,
so this year we are approaching this street circuit with a lot more
information and understanding.”
Samuel Coop
Go to seatrade maritime